Salem, New Hampshire, 1950s

The Old Motor recently dug up this Leslie Jones/Boston Public Library photo of the Rockingham Park parking lot, so no fair peeking at their comments before looking through the cars parked here to try to identify them all, a task that should keep everybody busy for quite some time. Also, given that Leslie Jones typically shot street scenes in Boston itself, it’s anybody’s guess what he was doing up in New Hampshire — perhaps he was simply taking in a day at the races. What do you see here?

italianironsays:

May 3, 2016 12:12 pm

A flood of nice cars , interesting where some owners put their own vehicles , almost trying to park near other cars of the same maker : I can explain this considering how close are those two Hudson in the foreground ( a ’46-’47 coupè and a Step Down sedan ), or the new Champion and Commander starlight coupè , separated by a ’49 Ford , in the second row , and both those two South Bend’s postwar products are only a few yards ahead of a nice ’41 Stude Commander/President with the DeLux-tone combo ( and this one is only a car away from a Buick woody wagon on the left ) .
In other words , there is everything for everybody , even better than the Disenyland car lots seen in the past weeks

raysays:

May 3, 2016 1:39 pm

italianironsays:

May 3, 2016 2:09 pm

Ray , effectively those Disneyland scenes looked happy and sunny , and this one is gloomy ,but I was mainly referring to the quantity and variety of what is here and I think it is still rather good : many “new” car , few prewar jobs and even fewer clunkers , some glamour touches ( a few convertibles , at least a pair of
woodies , here and there wide side walls like those worn by that ’49 Pontiac fastback in the middle left of the parking or the Oldses in the foreground ) and some upper level cars ( Buicks are among the most seen cars here ). So , surely Disneyland conveyed a bit more glamour and happiness , but as far as our ability in guessing some makes and models is concerned , a good scene .
And speaking of rarity , I rememeber there were a ’53 Caribbean and a ’54 Eldorado in those Disneyland scenes : maybe it is not all that glamorous , but here surely a’37 Graham is a rare sight ( it is the black prewar job maneuvering in the mid of the extreme left portion of the pic , I just saw it better and I couldn’t believe !)
What are conspicously absent are hardtops , one of the nice thing about those Disneyland photos are their incredible numbers : in only 5 years , their numbers really skyrocketed .

Pat Wsays:

May 3, 2016 3:42 pm

italianironsays:

May 3, 2016 4:38 pm

Pat , it is likely a ’46 indeed ; I had to quickly correct my initial thinking of that woody as a Buick , and I realized it was a Chevy of ’42-’48 vintage for sure .
P.S. looks like there are two other interesting cars in the background portion of that Chevy’s row too, the 3rd car from right looks like a ’37 Chevy ( even more intriguing , those lights look like the “pods” used by high-zoot ’38 Studebaker and the overall front end appearance reminds me of ’38 Olds too , but general proportions and the grille shape are closer to Chevy’s ), while the prominent front end of the 6th car from right makes me thinking it is another prewar Packard of sort ( ’41 , but maybe I m wrong ).

italianironsays:

May 3, 2016 12:23 pm

And while there is a slew of postwar cars , seems like there is nothing younger than 1950 models : the late ’49/’50 Special on the left of the #1 row or , even better , the early 1950 Olds 88 next to the Step down Huds just mentioned in the foreground are examples , just like a 1950 Pontiac on the upper right of the photo , while the other Olds visible in the first row is a ’49 (albeit I have some doubts , the wheel cutout looks more like that of a 98 rather than 76/88 ).
Another Step Down is visible in the extreme left of the photo , alongside another Airflyte just like the one in the immediate foreground.

Jay S.says:

May 4, 2016 9:24 am

Geoffsays:

May 3, 2016 12:41 pm

Wow its interesting to see the parking lot this full. Nowadays there are barely any cars there at all and I believe Rockingham Park will be closing within the next year or so since they have not had live racing there is many years.

italianironsays:

May 3, 2016 1:00 pm

Other curiosities include : a 1941 Cadillac ( 2nd row facing us , 4th car from right ) , another young-and-new ’50 car , a Dodge (3rd row facing us , 2nd car from right ), an early Kaiser (2nd row facing us , near the center of the parking lot , 7th car from left ), a late Thirties Packard ( 1st row facing us , 2nd car from left on the extreme left of the photo ), with a very long seven seater car or limo parked next to it , using that vent windows on the quarter rear window as a reference , I’d say it is another Packard , this time a 1938 or 1939 Eight touring limousine built on the 148” wheelbase
( it is speculative thinking , but there are some typical Packard features here , including the split rear window ).
Those two Mopar products near those two Packards are interesting too , especially the ’49 Chrysler ( Royal or
Windosr , looks like it has no long wheelbase like a New Yorker should have had )Club coupe in black.
Also worth a mention is the ’36 Pontiac in the #1 row ( 3rd from left , it is a ’36 because of its side hood grille arrow-shaped ) .
The ’49 Buick convertible in the first row , with its tail shown to us , is parked only one car away from a ’49 Olds
( with a’50 Plymouth on its right ).
Last but not least , a ’42 Black-Out Special Pontiac is seen in the third row facing us ( 4th car from right ) , the Buick woody in the same row is in reality a Chevy , while staying in the right upper portion of the photo reveals the presence of a Pregnan Packard and , further , a ’49-’50 Kaiser ( or Frazer )

italianironsays:

May 3, 2016 1:44 pm

Now , taking a closer look at that so-called ’42 Pontiac , seems like it has a ’46-’47 style hood , so it is a mystery machine of sort : maybe it is a “custom” job or , more likely , it is a genuine black-out special, with a hood coming from a later one put on it by the owner .

Pat Wsays:

May 3, 2016 9:34 pm

This “Black-out” Pontiac certainly has a 42 grill, but I’m not aware of any fundamental difference in the hoods from ’42 to ’46-47 apart from the latter two years dropping the full length chrome trim on the hood’s side in favor of the short “torpedo” ornament towards the back…an ornament this car has…and that’s a puzzle.

Pat Wsays:

May 3, 2016 4:15 pm

I think between the ’49 Buick convertible and ’49 Olds sedan up front is a ’42 Dodge…one of the first designs with headlights fully involved in the grill…something I don’t think we saw again until Chrysler’s ‘57’s to some extent and fully in GM’s ’59 models.

Looks to be another Stude Commander in the left half of the lot, 3rd aisle up, midway along, facing us, not completely backed in…5 cars to the left of a ’49-50 Nash Airflyte

In the 5th aisle, same left half of the lot, 4-1/2 cars from the right edge appears to be a ’49-51 Lincoln Cosmo

italianironsays:

May 3, 2016 5:33 pm

The ’42 Dodge , another example of how Highland Park went wild with those front ends just before WWII ( the others are DeSotos , even Plymouths had something strange in the form of a “spoiler” just below the front bumper and the Chrysler’s were radical in their simplicity). Another one of that breed is likely found in the center of the photo ( it is exactly in the center of the parking lot , back of the second row from left , first car is a two door sedan very much like a ’42 Dodge ).
The Stude you are referring to has white walls too , looks like they were becoming very much de riguer ( almost all the newest cars here are wearing them ) , and I found another pair of likely Nashes in the same area : in the same row of the aforementioned Stude , the second car from right ; and in the row behind , I see the prominent nose of something akin to a 1941-’42 600 ( 8th from right ), not overtly sure though .
The Cosmo , sure it is one of them ! Looks like a ’49 Linc for sure , but it s got a curved windshield and that distinctive chromed “scimitar” over the wheel is a dead giveaway for a Cosmo!

VJsays:

May 4, 2016 1:16 pm

As I remember the Cosmos the front fender moulding was big fat one that ran above the wheel and did not reach the end of the fender. That moulding that goes the whole lenght makes this car a Merc. bodied lincoln coupe not a Cosmopolitan I think it was called a sports something.

VJsays:

May 4, 2016 1:29 pm

VJsays:

May 4, 2016 11:52 am

I see what you see but the car you called a 36 Pontiac could be a 37 Terraplane. I flashed on Pontiac also but could be. Another car of question is the one this side of the 49 Buick convert., second row could be a 42 Dodge. There is another 42 in the second row beteen the 50 Merc and the 41 Cad.

Densays:

May 3, 2016 2:23 pm

Its not often that we get to observe this many autos and not a one of them is a foreign make! This got me thinking (note, I did NOT say researching…) were the first imports courtesy of the returning WWII vets as I’ve read? If so, you’d think that you might catch a glimpse of a Hillman, Austin, Citroen or Renault. In the early fifties my dad drove a ’49 Austin A30, then a ’50 Hillman Minx in Southern CA. Being a Buick man, he didn’t last long in those Prince Edward tins.

italianironsays:

May 3, 2016 4:20 pm

AMLsays:

May 3, 2016 7:36 pm

italianiron,

Thanks for your comment.

To me, the NASH’s grille looks like it may have vertical bars rather than an egg crate. Also it appears to have a chrome strip going aft from the parking light [horizontal rectangle rather vertical]. The model is most likely an AMBASSADOR rather than a STATESMAN. The photograph, when enlarged becomes a bit fuzzy so I may be wrong.

Also, the HUDSON backend to the left may also be from a ’51 [notice the tall rear stop light].

AMLsays:

May 3, 2016 8:36 pm

Pat Wsays:

May 3, 2016 9:47 pm

AML, I think that’s a ’50 Nash..it appears to have the turn signals separate from the grill surround…in ’51 they were attached to the grill with a short horizontal “spear” on the Statesman and a long strip that wrapped around to past the wheel on the Ambassador.

autobug2says:

May 3, 2016 4:38 pm

Geoffsays:

May 3, 2016 6:16 pm

Its big, but not huge. I used to drive past it every day on my way to work and its mostly empty now since they discontinued live racing. The worst part are the acres of abandoned and falling down stables that surround the place and are an eyesore for everyone driving by.

Kevinsays:

May 4, 2016 3:44 pm

I live a couple miles from here. When I first moved here in the late 90’s they used to run auto crosses in this parking lot. I wasn’t really into cars at that point and would always wonder what they were doing. Now that part of the lot is filled with weeds and generally run down as are the track and stables as Geoff mentions. They do hold the occasional craft and computer shows in the track building but it is a pretty depression venue. They should just tear the whole thing down and build something cultural! Must have been nice in its day…

italianironsays:

May 3, 2016 5:44 pm

Interesting to see how dealers can influence the success of a given car marque : in this photo there are an inordinate amount of GM cars , but not to the point Chevys are overtly predominant and Cadillacs look pretty rare , there are a good numbers of Mopars , a comparatively modest amount of Fords ( there are quite a few of them , but still nothing like other scenes where they were a tyrannizing majority ) , some Mercurys ( like that sporty ’47-’48 sedan coupè in the first row )and a lonesome ’49 Lincoln are among other few Dearborners seen here ; but , overall , there is a fair number of independents , new ones and old ones , among them Studes are well represented , Nashes and Hudsons had quite a number of cars , Packards are here to be sure , and there is that truly interesting pre war Graham in the left part of the parking lot . In sum , seems like independents dealers were still making good business , and even more so those selling mid priced GM models , maybe in this zone there werequite a few of important ones for the respective carmakers .

Ed wsays:

May 3, 2016 9:46 pm

Kensays:

May 4, 2016 12:05 am

Edward Blochsays:

May 4, 2016 9:52 am

I think it very safe to say that this photo is not from the 1950s as the heading states. It is quite possibly from late 1949. The newest car I spot is a 1950 Pontiac and certainly if we were into the 1950 year we would see at least a few more 1950 models.

streamlinersays:

May 4, 2016 11:29 am

Thanks Edward Bloch. Agreed. Finally, I was wondering when someone was going to discuss the photo date. My guess is this photo dates to around Thanksgiving wknd, Nov. 1949. (Nov. 1950 at very latest) I say late November, because of the bare foliage and brooding grey sky color. This is New Hampshire. Has to be after Oct. as there are no leaves on trees. Also, couldn’t be between late Dec. to early April as you’d see snow. People are wearing coats. It looks cold. The sky looks more like late fall, just prior to first snow, not spring. Also, by Nov. 1949, you’d expect to see a few 1950 models. If Nov. 1950, you should be able to spot a few 1951 models.

unclehotrod13says:

May 4, 2016 9:55 am

Bostoniansays:

May 4, 2016 10:05 am

Rockingham Park is just over from the Massachusetts state line in N.H..A convenient drive from the northern Boston suburbs. Many folks used to drive up there for a day trip. It was competition for Boston’s Suffolk Downs in Revere. Today in that area, is a large shopping mall. Southern New Hampshire is more suburban in character these days.

May 4, 2016 12:52 pm

Howiesays:

May 4, 2016 11:47 am

Dave Hapnersays:

May 4, 2016 2:42 pm

THGDriversays:

May 4, 2016 4:03 pm

Newest car I see is a 1951 Buick with a few 1950 Buick’s mixed in with there unmistakable one year grilles. I looked for a Packard but if there is one or more there I missed them. Looks like a very cold day with near every one in top coats and hats. Those without look like the should have listened to mom that morning.

GUY CRAIGsays:

May 4, 2016 5:12 pm

Great Pic,,couple comments,,Chrysler Corp doing well at this time,,as were many others..and the Other Is Look at all those Sedanettes..of all makes…includes 4 doors..could start a terrific Museum choosing from this Lot…